Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-18
MAKING MONEY
Visit to the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing.
Fron, &c Washtna.on critic.

From the WASHINGTON Critic
In point OF fneness of workmanship.
delicacy and beauty OF finish and d. fl
Guilty of counterfeltlng, the bank note en-
CRAVING turned out by American en-
gravers is not equaled by the work ofany
other engravers in the world. At time
when the Bank Of England was using rude
wood cuts for the printing OF Its notes.
Am erican engravers had already made
rapid strides in the improvement of en-
craving Dy the introduction of copper
plates for printing notes. The signal i'm
prOvements in the art of engraving have
been made BY Americans, and IL Is Ameri-
can ingenuity that has brought the art
to such perfection that TO-DAY the notes
aud bonds of fifteen European and South
American nationalitIes are printed in the
United States. The work for these coun-
tries is done by the several bank note en-
craving companies in New York city.
A MODEL OF SYSTEM.
The bank notes, ereenbacks. bonds, sil-
yer certificates and gold certificates and
revenue stAnipe Used by the United States
are printed at the United States Bureau
OF Engraving aad Printing in this city.
The Duseau is a model OF system, and the
immense force of 900 employees work as
one PERSON. ne bureau Is now engaged
principally in getting out the new gold
and Siver certificates. which will be the
handsomest production of the engravers'
art ever turned ont, and will be next to
impossible to be c"unterfeited. The en-
graverS have been busy tor months on the
plates, giving the most careful attention
to details of finish, in which lies the safety
from cOunterleitlng.
THE SILVER CERTIFICATES.
The denominations of silver certificates
are 81, 81 and $40. the $40 certificate is
adnrned with the portrait of the late
Thomas A, Hendricks, set in a square
panel, an entirely new design in bank note
printing. The back of the note is a solid
mass OF lathe-work surrounding the let
ters and numbers describing its denOmi-
nation. The 81 certificate bears the por-
trait of Martha Washington a copy of
Stuart's famous pOrtrait) set in frame
OF Intricate lathe work. This is the first
time a wnman's portrait has ever ap-
peared on government bank note. The
general workmanship OF the note is beau
tilul, and the cOunterfeiter who can imi-
tate it will op a prodigy of skill. The face
IT the 81 certificate bears a portrait AOf
Gen. W. ). Hancock in the full dress uni
form OF Major General of the army, and,
with numerous new features of the en-
graver's skill, will be a handsome note.
AN INTERESTING WORK.
All the notes are profuse with lathe
work, consisting of designs composed OF
curved lines of geom trical precision
made on machine. A lathe costs S., 900
and upward, and cannot be bought by ir-
responsible parties. The process of en-
craving plates and printing money is an
interesting one. The bureau has staff
OF eneravers representing selection
from tue skill of the country. Tney are
paid salaries of SIS day and upward,
and are sure OF lifelong employment as
long as they preserve their skill. The
engraver takes plate OF soft steel and
covers it with WAX. Upon this
IS transferred the portrait or
the vIknette to be engraved.
He scratches the lines OF the portrait
on the wax and puts the plate in bath
OF acid. which eats into the steel through
the lines cut in the wax. The wlXs is
then removed and tue plate touched up.
Next, the plate is put in furnance and
hardened. A cylinder of soft steel is
rolled over the plate. leaving the portrait
IN outline on the cylinder, which is then
hardened, and is called die. From this
cylindrical die any number of plates can
he made. Another plate bearing the
latha-wOrk and figures us made in the
same manner, and after both are proved"
and carefully inspected by the superin
lendent, they are sent up stairs TO the
printer.